Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Thursday of the fifteenth week in ordinary time, July 16, 2026

Delivered by Evelyn from the Parish of Holy Spirit in the Archdiocese of Singapore. Isaiah 26: 7-9.12.16-19; Rs psalm 102: 13-14ab.15.16-18.19-21; Matthew 11: 28-30.KNOWING THE LORD WITH HIS NAME The theme for our meditation today is: Knowing theLord with His Name. There was a ten-year-old boy named Bastian. He wrote aletter to God to ask about His name. Bastian has prayed many times to ask whatreally the name of the Lord is, like his own name Bastian. Since he has notfound an answer, he wrote a special letter. He wrote such words: "LordGod, like Your Son's special name Jesus Christ, so what is Your realname?" He placed that letter at the foot of the cross in the church. The parish priest found that letter one morning. Hetook the letter and wrote under the written words of Bastian, and it read:"The name of the Lord God is 'I AM'. This was not a direct answer fromGod, but what the parish priest gave was the real answer, as the book ofGenesis says about Moses who did meet God and received this name. Then some daylater when Bastian and his family came to church, the boy took his letter andfound the answer he was really waiting for. God gives His own name "I" which means He isperfect, total and eternal. For the name "I", God is the onlypowerful being who affirms Himself as the almighty and everliving Lord. Withsuch superiority, Moses in the old testament and all of us from everygeneration are so blessed with this so special dignity of the Lord. God is notselfish, but He always shares with us, especially involves Himself with us andwe participate in His divinity, through Jesus Christ. We are encouraged to bring such divine superiority toequip ourselves, that we may be able to face enemies and those who oppose thewill of God. Our aim is to defeat those enemies. If we only use our ownstrengths and egos as human beings, we must be very weak when we face all thecomplexities of our works, various challenges and threats. But by using theidentity "I" of God, we will always be enabled by Him and we canstand to face all threats and difficulties. Jesus Christ shows this when He always says: "Itell you". Jesus revealed God's own name when He spoke and when He did theworks of God. Jesus never called himself by using such expression: "Jesustells you". He indeed used "I" to give affirmation ofHimself  and this also means to bring allthe believers to come to Him, to live with Him and to walk in His way of life.Today Jesus invites us to come to Him in order to draw from Him our spiritualrichness. "Come to me, for I am gentle and humble of heart." Let usalways believe and rely on God's name "I AM". Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... O powerful and almighty God, accept ourprayer of gratitiude dependence for the love that You bestow on us through theperson Jesus Christ Your Son, and may we always rely on your power. Glory tothe Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father...